The Camaro Gets Spunked Up...

[NOS2006]

As I've been saying for months, the Camaro (black, 3.8L Series II, A4 for those who are new) was going to get a makeover for spring break. Therefore, we've got pictures of before and after...

What happened was all performance. GT2 Camshaft, Pushrods, 105 lb Valve Springs, Modified Steel LS1 Valve Retainers, 2 new valve keepers (lost 'em lol), ceramic-coated Pacesetter headers and y-pipe, 180 degree high-flowing thermostat, new plugs/wires, 3.72 gears, Zexel-Torsen Limited Slip Differential, 32mm front swaybar (vs. 28mm stock), and heavyduty endlinks for the swaybar.

Coming soon is a new rear swaybar (it was given to me today; a V8 take-off, which is 18mm vs. my current 15mm one), rear swaybar endlinks, another front outter tie rod (already replaced one, might as well do the other), rear lower control arms, a shift kit, and a high-performance transmission servo.

Alright, so anyway, here are some pics:

After hardly starting (fans, intake were out, that's all):

End of day one:

Another at end of day one:

My hand after day one, proving it a good day of work:

Before from above:

Before from passenger side:

After from above:

After from passenger side:

After from driver side

After from front:

Okay, so I still have to clean up some of the plastic.. But the car runs so much better. I also got a send-in tune done while the thing was all torn apart and received the PCM back on the day we got everything together. It now shifts, during WOT, at 6500 RPM and can rev to 7000 RPM, and it sounds like an 8 almost all the way through the RPMs. I'll try to get video up soon.

Also, today I had my 3.73s/LSD installed. It's raining out, but I can still feel a difference. I can't wait for dry roads (though I might have to...)! And it corners so much better with the new front swaybar.

Wait it out a week or two for new vids, exterior/interior pics, and maybe some burnouts!

[Camino LS6]

Good stuff,Nos, keep it coming.

[Northstar]

Damn, you have done a ton of work on that NOS. Do you have any idea what it's putting out (to the wheels or otherwise)?

Oh, it's still a 6

[NOS2006]

Damn, you have done a ton of work on that NOS. Do you have any idea what it's putting out (to the wheels or otherwise)?

Oh, it's still a 6

You're a bitch. lol

I have no idea what it's putting out, but I know someone with a stock LT1 willing to line 'em up to see what I can do..

[Nick]

Awesome Nos! About how much did the entire setup run you?

Get that thing on a dyno soon! I want to see what numbers you're puting out.

What was your stock diff gearing compared to your new LSD? It should handle and drive (and depending on the gearing, accelerate) so much better with that. I can't wait to get one for my car. Getting that rear sway bar in should help a lot in the handling department as well. Are you running stock suspension (other than the sway) at the moment?

[scharmer05]

very nice NOS. would be interesting to see what your getting to the wheels with all the upgrades

[NOS2006]

Awesome Nos! About how much did the entire setup run you?

Get that thing on a dyno soon! I want to see what numbers you're puting out.

What was your stock diff gearing compared to your new LSD? It should handle and drive (and depending on the gearing, accelerate) so much better with that. I can't wait to get one for my car. Getting that rear sway bar in should help a lot in the handling department as well. Are you running stock suspension (other than the sway) at the moment?

I estimated about $1000 for everything including the install on the rearend.

I went to 3.73s/LSD from 3.08s/Open Differential... And it's hella different. I have a better launch now in the rain than I did before on dry pavement.

Suspension is stock except for upgraded front swaybar/endlinks and front tie rods. Then I'm going to throw on the rear lower control arms and beefier rear swaybar/endlinks and see where it takes me...

Thanks everyone else. I can't wait to race an LT1 or get a dyno or something..

[Nick]

You should look into doing your springs and shocks. A set of Konis with some eibach or H&R springs and you're good to go. I hate you and your easily/cheapily moddable car though. It's like my buddy with his WRX...he spent about a grand on it, up/down pipes, a computer programmer adapter thing, and with his exhaust he gained over 50hp to the wheels...not cool...I only wish my car took that well to mods. The most bang for the buck crap I can do is either supercharge it (the most cost friendly/best option costing upwards of 6 grand) and do the LSD (which would cost me around 1500 or so for a used M5 diff, not including everything else needed for the install).

I'm going to gut my secondary cats though, and I've heard that gives a favorable increase in power to the wheels, so we'll see what happens...should be a cheap, easy mod. Just need some O2 simulators.

[Northstar]

I estimated about $1000 for everything including the install on the rearend.

I went to 3.73s/LSD from 3.08s/Open Differential... And it's hella different. I have a better launch now in the rain than I did before on dry pavement.

Suspension is stock except for upgraded front swaybar/endlinks and front tie rods. Then I'm going to throw on the rear lower control arms and beefier rear swaybar/endlinks and see where it takes me...

Thanks everyone else. I can't wait to race an LT1 or get a dyno or something..

You got everything for $1k or just the rear end? I'm guessing just rear end since headers and a cam (at least for the GTO) would be over $1k alone.

A little off topic, but I'm pretty sure with about $2k in mods on the GTO I could be at ~450hp (not to the wheels though). Right now I'm at about 380 or 385 because of the camshaft, and adding headers (25-30 to the wheels so ~35 not to the wheels), CAI (18 to the wheels), and exhuast (probably only about 10) would be somewhere between 440 and 450 (again not the wheels).

[ocnblu]

Very cool, Nos. I'm proud of you!

[NOS2006]

You got everything for $1k or just the rear end? I'm guessing just rear end since headers and a cam (at least for the GTO) would be over $1k alone.

A little off topic, but I'm pretty sure with about $2k in mods on the GTO I could be at ~450hp (not to the wheels though). Right now I'm at about 380 or 385 because of the camshaft, and adding headers (25-30 to the wheels so ~35 not to the wheels), CAI (18 to the wheels), and exhuast (probably only about 10) would be somewhere between 440 and 450 (again not the wheels).

25 RWHP from headers?! 18 RWHP from a CAI? You're not serious, right? Don't buy into that crap, Northie.

Very cool, Nos.  I'm proud of you! 

Thanks, oblu!

[Nick]

Well, LS engines take very well to bolt-ons, so there may be some truth in the headers statement...as far as CAI goes though, I wouldn't count on it...if anything, more in the 5-10hp range...

[Northstar]

Well, unless K&N did some fudging to the dyno sheet, their "Aircharger" CAI gave them 18.54 RWHP on the dyno vs. stock on an 04 A4 GTO. I think the current CAI on the GTO sucks, so that's probably why it has such big gains. There are other CAIs out there such as the LPE that give ~15RWHP, or claim too.

I was looking at Kooks headers and again it said that on dynos they consistently show 25-30 RWHP gains for the GTO.

I suppose it's possible they're messing with their numbers, but as Nick said a add few bolt-ons and the LS1 makes tons of power. I will definetly go over to LS1GTO.com and ask people what sort of gains they saw on the dyno first however, if I do decide to mod.

[CaddyXLR-V]

Headers do add quite a bit of power, and are supposed to add about 18hp to the wheels on the SC 3.8, so I have no reason to doubt the 25hp to the wheels on the LS1. There are dyno sheets for before and after headers on a Grand Prix on thrashercharged.com

Edited April 24, 2006 by CaddyXLR-V

[zhawk]

Good work NOS. I've got a friend at work who wants to do something with his 6 cyl Camaro. Maybe this will give him some ideas.

Keep up the good work.

[AAS]

NOS, upgrading the control arms and panhard bar is a great idea, they are relatively cheap and easy to isntall. Do you ever plan on putting in sub-frame connectors and/or a strutt tower brace? If so... DO NOT install one without the other!